Medical Oncology Board Meeting Summary | Spring 2026

June 16, 2026 | Posted by ABIM | Specialty Board Meeting Summaries

*Suresh G. Nair, MD, Chair, ABIM Medical Oncology Board*

The Medical Oncology Board held its spring meeting on March 20, 2026. Representatives from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) joined for a portion of the meeting*.

ABIM and the Medical Oncology Board gratefully acknowledge the service of William J. Gradishar, MD, whose term on the Medical Oncology Board ends June 30, 2026. Dr. Gradishar has served as a member since 2020.

The following is a summary of the spring meeting. Visit the ABIM Blog for reports of prior meetings.

ABIM Leadership Update*

Furman S. McDonald, MD, MPH, President and CEO of ABIM and the ABIM Foundation, discussed progress on ABIM’s strategic initiatives, including:

Customized learning plans via collaboration with the American College of Physicians (ACP) that launched in February. A new feature in ACP’s Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program (MKSAP) allows subscribers to import their most recent ABIM internal medicine assessment results directly into their account, which will suggest learning tools to build a tailored plan.
Enhancing early career physician engagement through an interactive online community platform, tailored resources for residency programs and the creation of an Early Career Committee, which will begin meeting in July.
Progress of the Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) Special Consideration Pathway pilot for International Medical Graduates (IMGs), which has received more than 150 applicants to date. ABIM is using the pilot to test a model for board eligibility using a CBME framework, while removing barriers for physicians who meet the same standards as peers who completed accredited internal medicine training.
The recently expanded blueprint review process, which involves a schedule of plans for updating blueprints in every specialty over the next several years. Practicing physicians in each specialty will continue to be invited to participate in updating each blueprint to reflect current practice.
Recent communications about the importance of exam integrity and the appropriate use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools on the Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA®).

Dr. McDonald reported continued growth in LKA participation, including enrollment in focused versions of the Gastroenterology, Hematology and Medical Oncology LKAs launched this year. Physicians participating in the general LKAs are eligible to switch to one of the focus areas now. Specialty Board members inquired about how ABIM is working to promote the LKA and ensure physicians understand their options. ABIM sends monthly email notifications to physicians eligible to enroll in the LKA and bolsters those communications with social media posts and placed announcements in specialty-specific publications.

Dr. McDonald noted how ongoing engagement with early career physicians and increasing presence at national society meetings is part of a strategy to meet physicians where they are and communicate with them one on one, as well as to spread awareness of assessment options. He also noted that ABIM is exploring data to understand why some physicians choose neither assessment option.

Regarding AI use in assessments, the data support that the vast majority of physicians enrolled in the LKA are using resources—including AI-powered resources—appropriately. Medical Oncology Board members also highlighted AI-supported documentation in clinical encounters and the risk that records may not accurately reflect the visit. Dr. McDonald said ABIM’s innovation work includes using AI tools to evaluate communication transcripts against established frameworks, which may inform future approaches to the use of these tools in the assessment of communication skills, but that these tools are not yet ready for operational use.

Developing a Quality Agenda in Medical Oncology*

As a next step in the development of a discipline-specific Quality Agenda, Medical Oncology Board members engaged in breakout discussions to further refine the aims, drivers and relevant society strategies agreed upon by the Medical Oncology Board and specialty society colleagues. The Quality Agenda is one of the standards for continuing certification issued by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) for all Member Boards in 2021. This standard requires that Member Boards “facilitate the process for developing an agenda for improving the quality of care in their specialties.” (ABMS Standards for Continuing Certification, p. 15: Requirements for Member Boards, 18. Quality Agenda.)

Medical Oncology Board members emphasized health equity and communication as central themes for the discipline’s Quality Agenda, consistent with both the ABMS requirement and the realities of oncology practice. The discussion centered on helping patients understand treatment options, adapting communication to different learning needs and addressing disparities in access to care. Members discussed the overlap between communication-related aims and considered how problem statements and drivers could better reflect patient literacy, numeracy and language preferences. Anne Grupe, MS Ed, Senior Director of Continuing Education for ASCO, shared about ASCO’s collaboration with the American Cancer Society to contribute to Cancer.org, and participants agreed that complementary efforts by professional societies and patient-facing organizations should inform the Quality Agenda as it is refined. The Specialty Board will revisit and update the Quality Agenda, as appropriate, on an annual basis.

Review the complete Medical Oncology Quality Agenda.

Physicians Engaging in Improving Health and Health Care*

ABMS Standard 19 (ABMS Standards for Continuing Certification, p. 16) focuses on increasing the proportion of physicians engaged in improving health and health care, including quality improvement and patient safety. It requires ongoing reporting, increased participation and collaboration to ease engagement and reporting burdens. ABIM is not reintroducing a requirement for individual diplomates to participate in quality improvement activities. Instead, ABIM will look to increase engagement in and recognition of quality improvement activities through existing pathways. In addition, ABIM will develop and implement new opportunities to recognize and reward diplomate engagement in quality improvement under the expanded definition.

Medical Oncology Board members noted that any future approach should recognize existing physician work where possible and avoid creating unnecessary administrative complexity. Staff advised that ABIM Governance can provide additional feedback through post-meeting surveys on definitions, eligible activity types and reportable sources of information. The Specialty Board supported using the survey process to gather discipline-specific input before ABIM finalizes its longer-term measurement approach. Additionally, society colleagues will continue these discussions as part of their biannual meetings with the chair of the Medical Oncology Board.

Medical Oncology Workforce*

Suresh G. Nair, MD, Chair of the ABIM Medical Oncology Board, led a broad discussion of workforce issues affecting the discipline.

Specialty Board members emphasized the importance of multidisciplinary practice models, emphasizing nurse practitioners and physician assistants as integral to oncology care delivery, patient education and continuity of care. They highlighted that role clarity matters not only within teams but also for patients, who benefit from clearly and consistently communicated responsibilities.

Members also discussed the importance of terminology, expressing concern about language such as “mid-level” or the generic use of “provider,” and favoring phrasing that more accurately reflects professional roles and team contributions.

Oversight of Training in Medical Oncology*

Specialty Board members reviewed current workforce and training data in medical oncology. They reviewed data indicating that only a small number of physicians who train in medical oncology lapse in board eligibility, but when this happens, physicians can regain eligibility by retraining under an approved retraining plan. The Medical Oncology Board also discussed the faculty pathway and CBME pilot special consideration pathways for physicians whose training histories do not align with the traditional accredited training pathway. Members noted the relevance of both pathways to disciplines such as medical oncology, which include substantial numbers of internationally trained physicians.

Oversight of Medical Oncology Assessments*

A large part of the purview of the Medical Oncology Board is oversight of the assessments. Each year, the Specialty Board examines data from assessments in each discipline. Members received population-level information, assessment participation updates and performance data to support informed decision-making and future assessment strategies.

Members discussed fairness data and survey-based perceptions of the assessments, noting that fairness ratings in medical oncology were modestly higher than some broader comparison groups, while still leaving room for improvement in physician understanding and confidence. The conversation also recognized that LKA fairness perceptions and response rates differ from traditional assessments, making communication and interpretation especially important as ABIM continues to refine the program. Participants considered which data displays and explanatory context are most useful for governance review and how to distinguish between psychometric performance, participant experience and broader reputational questions about certification.

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*Indicates that society representatives and other guests were present for discussion on this agenda topic.